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MindShift Gear - Interview with Doug Murdoch

Being a veteran in the backpack and outdoor
photography design industry, Doug Murdoch has seen his fair share of challenges
with design. One large obstacle Doug faced was there not being a bag on the market
where gear was easily accessible without removing the pack. That was until the inception
of MindShift gear. Doug takes us through the idea behind MindShift, how it is
changing outdoor photography and other outdoor activities, and the patented
rotation 180°
function that their bags boast.

How did innovation inspire the
creation of MindShift?

Innovation is at the very heart of
MindShift. We started the company because we knew we had created a great solution
to a problem that has plagued lovers of the outdoors forever: to get at the
gear in their backpacks they first need to stop and take them off. We
solved this problem by innovating a unique solution that allows them to rotate
the beltpack locked beneath their backpack to the front where they can access
camera gear, guidebooks, food, emergency supplies, binoculars and more.
And, they can do so without ever breaking stride.

How have you been able to integrate
your tagline “Engage with Nature” into your designs?

It is hard to describe how
frustrated bird watchers, outdoor photographers, and others who need their gear
get when they have to stop, take off their backpack, and rummage around in it
while the wildlife or shot disappears. Being at one with nature, where
your eyes never leave the scene, is the ultimate in engaging with nature.

How does MindShift promote the
outdoors?

We empower storytellers. Among
our founders are a world-renowned conservation photographer, an environmental
advocate, and two designers who cut their teeth in designing outdoor
equipment. What we all agreed to focus on was designing gear that allowed
lovers of the out of doors to capture its beauty and the travesty of its
decimation. These are the dark and light side of storytelling.

What was the most important aspect
when designing your products?

Our overriding branding theme is
“urgent accessibility.” The out of doors is filled with “now moments,”
fleeting moments that exist for only fragments of time. Traditionally, we who
love the outdoors have either had to be extremely well prepared so that we can
anticipate the moment—such as the rising sun hitting a cliff at a specific
moment or a bird descending—or just be lucky. Now with MindShift
backpacks’ rotation function, the number of moments that can be captured in the
now increase. No more fumbling for the right equipment while the now
moments disappear forever.

What was the most difficult task
while designing a pack specifically for the outdoor photographer/enthusiast?

By far the most strenuous challenge
was perfecting our now patented rotation180° function. We vowed to make it intuitive for the wearer
to unlock and rotate the lower beltpack without looking, and to rotate it back
so that the latch almost closes by itself. It is difficult designing
anything, especially anything new, so that it becomes intuitive.
According to our users and the reviewers, we’ve been able to do this
successfully.

How has the beltpack feature changed
the way photographers interact with their pack?

Darin McQuoid, who writes for
Outside, recently posted: “It would be easy to use today's over applied clichés
like game changing or disruptive technology. A backpack won't change your life;
in the end it is just a backpack. On the other hand it might improve your
photography. That's a bold statement. On rare occasions you come across a
product that solves an old problem in a simple, elegant manner, making you
wonder why it took so long to appear.” He continued, “MindShift Gear. It's a
good name for camera backpack maker who is taking a new approach to the
access/comfort issue.” I couldn’t have said it better.

Aside from carrying camera gear,
have your consumers found any other unique uses for MindShift gear?

Our rotation180° backpacks are getting
rave reviews from media covering snow-shoeing, snowboarding, skiing, mountain
biking, hiking, bird watching, and more. The rotation function is not
specific to photography. Anyone who carries anything outdoors to which
they need urgent access can benefit from this design solution.

What can we expect to see in the
future for MindShift?

We have no shortage of creative
ideas. My design team and I are working on future products that apply the
rotation technology to different outdoor carrying challenges, as well as
creating elegant solutions designed specifically for outdoor
photographers. Having worked in backpack and outdoor photography design
for over 30 years, I have a strong sense of where the problems are and what we
can do to help solve them.